Saturday, September 18, 2010
Second Chance Wildlife Sanctuary Fall Charity Yard Sale and BBQ
Um....if they don't sell do we eat them?
host for about 1.5 weeks? (Yorkville area)
Yeah, its tough out there....from Craigslist:
Im from Ottawa and I'm getting cosmetic surgery done. I'm completely broke from this surgery cost so Im seeking a volunteer host for about a week and a half prob around Nov 10th. (sorry, finding a place to stay after sugery is part of the cost).
Id be bringing my older sister along so you wouldn't have to babysit me. (um, so there is actually two of you in my home) Also, I'd be in bed most of the time so I'd be pretty quiet (what kinda surgery with such a long recovery rate - I'm picturing oozing and a change of bandages). Me and my sis can share a room. In exchange, I could bring some good food and some good conversations! (without the conversations I'm sure I would get stories from this experience to last a lifetime).
I know its a pretty measly offer but it would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.
You can see that I"m not so sympathetic. Even a few hundred bucks would be an incentive. And note - she is looking in the Yorkville area - heck I'd love to have brunch in the Yorkville area - I'd love to KNOW someone in the Yorkville area. If you are looking for a room in the apartment of a guy who is out of work and living hand to mouth throw in a few bucks and we'll think about it!
Im from Ottawa and I'm getting cosmetic surgery done. I'm completely broke from this surgery cost so Im seeking a volunteer host for about a week and a half prob around Nov 10th. (sorry, finding a place to stay after sugery is part of the cost).
Id be bringing my older sister along so you wouldn't have to babysit me. (um, so there is actually two of you in my home) Also, I'd be in bed most of the time so I'd be pretty quiet (what kinda surgery with such a long recovery rate - I'm picturing oozing and a change of bandages). Me and my sis can share a room. In exchange, I could bring some good food and some good conversations! (without the conversations I'm sure I would get stories from this experience to last a lifetime).
I know its a pretty measly offer but it would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.
You can see that I"m not so sympathetic. Even a few hundred bucks would be an incentive. And note - she is looking in the Yorkville area - heck I'd love to have brunch in the Yorkville area - I'd love to KNOW someone in the Yorkville area. If you are looking for a room in the apartment of a guy who is out of work and living hand to mouth throw in a few bucks and we'll think about it!
Music Ministry
I learned about planning worship from the best from my first church. Sadly, I have found that not every church shares this vision of incorporating all parts of the service with a theme or approach. Now of course music is a big part of worship - it can say so much that we can't do with words. Even setting the mood from confession to assurance, from hope to lament.
I've planned services many times but never with such a limitation for the music. A lead organist who is sometimes joined in with piano. All psalter hymnal songs. Now I'm not musically gifted but after some time of hearing others I know that the tempo for the music was normally too slow - and I suspect the same for every song. Everything ends up sounding like a funeral dirge.
But a local church in this small town brought in a very accomplished worship director from I think it was Winnipeg. She was met with their diocese and also help open sessions for the community to teach how to sing as a group and for local churches how to plan a service. In only my 2nd week I had this great resource! I invited our music people. The organist was surprised to learn that she is the lead. Someone has to be and since I can't see her very clearly from the pulpit and the pianist is on the opposite side of the room wither her back to the congregation it may as well be her!
I was able to purchase some time to have the director listen to my voice. She went through a scale with me and found my range she told me to describe it as C to the D after the next C. Taught me a few Taize that I could teach the congregation. No organ required.
Now how to get this into a service without upsetting the organist? I asked if there were people wanting to learn new songs. I had one very interested lady who was a visitor. Finally I realized that I would have to just do it - chose one for before confession and one to follow. Promised the congregation that if they hated doing the first one we would not attempt the second. Bless them. They were game and tried it and we did the 2nd one too. People sang loud and I think God heard some beautiful music - he has gracious ears! And the organist - well for the first time in a long time she was not available that Sunday. I was able to give the congregation permission to think about what they can do as a group if there is no musician available. A seed planted - along with other seeds planted by younger members who have wanted to play newer songs!
And what I am very pleased about is how I put forward the idea of change and let it go free. Years ago I would have been working three times as hard to try to make it happen. I'm learning to be gracious.
Scary standing there singing - could keep my eyes open as it breaks my concentration. So a month later when my group is asked to lead worship at the retreat for all 3 Cohort years (about 30 people) I volunteered to sing Taize if there were absolutely no other options. The chapel had beautiful acoustics which made me sound better than I am and people actually commented later on my voice - and the pleasure of using simple tunes during worship that they had not heard before. I again closed my eyes - too nervous otherwise, but got through it. Some people assumed that I sing like this all the time!
It was a great summer of stretching myself. We have an accomplished conductor in our small church that sometimes leads a choir at Christmas - I might actually see if I can join this year!
I've planned services many times but never with such a limitation for the music. A lead organist who is sometimes joined in with piano. All psalter hymnal songs. Now I'm not musically gifted but after some time of hearing others I know that the tempo for the music was normally too slow - and I suspect the same for every song. Everything ends up sounding like a funeral dirge.
But a local church in this small town brought in a very accomplished worship director from I think it was Winnipeg. She was met with their diocese and also help open sessions for the community to teach how to sing as a group and for local churches how to plan a service. In only my 2nd week I had this great resource! I invited our music people. The organist was surprised to learn that she is the lead. Someone has to be and since I can't see her very clearly from the pulpit and the pianist is on the opposite side of the room wither her back to the congregation it may as well be her!
I was able to purchase some time to have the director listen to my voice. She went through a scale with me and found my range she told me to describe it as C to the D after the next C. Taught me a few Taize that I could teach the congregation. No organ required.
Now how to get this into a service without upsetting the organist? I asked if there were people wanting to learn new songs. I had one very interested lady who was a visitor. Finally I realized that I would have to just do it - chose one for before confession and one to follow. Promised the congregation that if they hated doing the first one we would not attempt the second. Bless them. They were game and tried it and we did the 2nd one too. People sang loud and I think God heard some beautiful music - he has gracious ears! And the organist - well for the first time in a long time she was not available that Sunday. I was able to give the congregation permission to think about what they can do as a group if there is no musician available. A seed planted - along with other seeds planted by younger members who have wanted to play newer songs!
And what I am very pleased about is how I put forward the idea of change and let it go free. Years ago I would have been working three times as hard to try to make it happen. I'm learning to be gracious.
Scary standing there singing - could keep my eyes open as it breaks my concentration. So a month later when my group is asked to lead worship at the retreat for all 3 Cohort years (about 30 people) I volunteered to sing Taize if there were absolutely no other options. The chapel had beautiful acoustics which made me sound better than I am and people actually commented later on my voice - and the pleasure of using simple tunes during worship that they had not heard before. I again closed my eyes - too nervous otherwise, but got through it. Some people assumed that I sing like this all the time!
It was a great summer of stretching myself. We have an accomplished conductor in our small church that sometimes leads a choir at Christmas - I might actually see if I can join this year!
Ministry Time in Small Town Ontario
Well , its been just over a month since Igot back from Cochrane. It seems like a long time ago!
I had an absolute blast. Preached for 8 Sundays in a row. Visited parishioners. Showed up for community events. Lived with a roommate for the first time ever!
I left feeling really called to church ministry - I loved the church and her people even though there were things that I would want to encourage to change.
The people were super friendly and down to earth. For the first time in years I was able to wear what I want and still fit in. The houses were well kept but not fancy. The town had cute stores and everything I needed. The local Chinese restaurant made wicked home made cheeseburgers with fries and gravy.
The local churches get together every Thursday for an hour of prayer followed by breakfast together.
One of the greatest compliments I got was on my last day I did a sermon and a bunch of CRC came to visit the town. They were older and obviously well churched and took time to encourage me in my studies and to go for it! It was nice to have people affirm me.
And affirmation was everywhere. I preached some hard stuff when the time was right and it was recognized as challenging for the church to think about BUT Biblical. The elder gave a speech at the end which was so kind and gracious thanking me for my time and how much they enjoyed having me there. At one point they had stopped referring to me as their "student pastor" but just called me "pastor" when introducing me.
I went to a farmer's picnic and they asked the elder from the church to do the blessing. They all know he is a Christian. Later he asked if that was okay - he apologized and said that he had been doing it for decades but wondered if he should have deferred to me! Anyone who knows my journey knows how surprising that is.
I also got to have some indepth conversations with parishioners. It was a real joy to sit and talk and enter someone else's personal place like that.
Of course I'm suspicious. Things in Toronto plod along at their confusing rate. I'm wondering if God granted me this affirmation not to push me further but to get it out of my system so he can prepare me for whatever it is that I will be doing. This way I won't look back and wonder if I could have done church ministry. I know that sounds paranoid but there do not seem to be too many doors open here.
I miss the place and have come to be very disenchanted with Toronto. Its big and impersonal and very hard to do ministry in. C is still looking for a job - though he has another interview on Monday.
I had an absolute blast. Preached for 8 Sundays in a row. Visited parishioners. Showed up for community events. Lived with a roommate for the first time ever!
I left feeling really called to church ministry - I loved the church and her people even though there were things that I would want to encourage to change.
The people were super friendly and down to earth. For the first time in years I was able to wear what I want and still fit in. The houses were well kept but not fancy. The town had cute stores and everything I needed. The local Chinese restaurant made wicked home made cheeseburgers with fries and gravy.
The local churches get together every Thursday for an hour of prayer followed by breakfast together.
One of the greatest compliments I got was on my last day I did a sermon and a bunch of CRC came to visit the town. They were older and obviously well churched and took time to encourage me in my studies and to go for it! It was nice to have people affirm me.
And affirmation was everywhere. I preached some hard stuff when the time was right and it was recognized as challenging for the church to think about BUT Biblical. The elder gave a speech at the end which was so kind and gracious thanking me for my time and how much they enjoyed having me there. At one point they had stopped referring to me as their "student pastor" but just called me "pastor" when introducing me.
I went to a farmer's picnic and they asked the elder from the church to do the blessing. They all know he is a Christian. Later he asked if that was okay - he apologized and said that he had been doing it for decades but wondered if he should have deferred to me! Anyone who knows my journey knows how surprising that is.
I also got to have some indepth conversations with parishioners. It was a real joy to sit and talk and enter someone else's personal place like that.
Of course I'm suspicious. Things in Toronto plod along at their confusing rate. I'm wondering if God granted me this affirmation not to push me further but to get it out of my system so he can prepare me for whatever it is that I will be doing. This way I won't look back and wonder if I could have done church ministry. I know that sounds paranoid but there do not seem to be too many doors open here.
I miss the place and have come to be very disenchanted with Toronto. Its big and impersonal and very hard to do ministry in. C is still looking for a job - though he has another interview on Monday.
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